FOR 3000: Ecology and Evolution of Intraspecific Chemodiversity in Plants

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An extraordinarily high intraspecific chemical diversity, i.e. chemodiversity, has been found in many plant species. This chemodiversity has likely pronounced ecological effects on mutualists and antagonists, associated food webs and, ultimately, biodiversity. Studies on plants subjected to abiotic and biotic challenges often neglect intraspecific plant chemodiversity as a level of relevant phenotypic variation. This limits our understanding of how intraspecific chemodiversity has evolved and what its ecological functions may be. Therefore, the overarching aim of this Research Unit (RU) is to investigate the ecological consequences as well as the emergence and maintenance of intraspecific plant chemodiversity. In the first funding period, our RU revealed various factors that influence plant intraspecific chemodiversity and developed statistical tools for its quantification. The COR project organised a ring trial to assess the level of variation in collection and analysis of volatiles across laboratories. Using controlled laboratory and field experiments, the projects of the RU tested the consequences of plant chemodiversity on different mutualists and antagonists, revealing the scale of chemodiversity and species identity of interaction partners as important determinants. To investigate how plant chemodiversity is genetically determined and maintained, we used metabolic and genetic analyses combined with modelling approaches, which revealed several potential explanations as factors governing high levels of chemodiversity. In a second funding period, we will pursue our central questions with some important extensions. In particular, we intend to include the effects of abiotic challenges, in particular drought, on chemodiversity and include belowground interactions and root chemodiversity, exploring further potential selection pressures. The COR project will oversee the integration of all projects in this RU, including an iterative synthesis of results across the projects. Moreover, the COR will coordinate a common experiment exploring the plasticity of chemodiversity to which all projects will contribute. Furthermore, it will initiate a citizen science project to involve the general public in our research, in particular on the effects of plant chemodiversity on insects. It will also coordinate a series of dedicated joint project meetings and workshops, including an international conference, with input from experts outside the RU. The COR project will guarantee that equity measures are implemented and that young researchers in the RU are supported. In conclusion, the activities in the COR project will ensure that the added value of this RU, which goes beyond the achievements of the individual projects, will be realised.